194 

 NOTES FROM SOUTHERN FLORIDA. 



By Dr. John Gifford, Agent U. S. Bureau of Forestry. 



Owing to the facts that the only tropical territory in the main- 

 land of the United States is Southern Florida, that the culti- 

 vation of several strictly tropical fruits and vegetables is now 

 in extensive operation, that the region is in close touch with 

 the West Indies, and at the same time near the northern mar- 

 kets both by water and rail, the writer is of the opinion that 

 notes from this district might be of interest to the people of 

 Hawaii. 



The Florida East Coast Railroad, although not an ideal con- 

 cern, has been influential in opening up and developing a vast 

 region of great possibilities. For some time the terminus has 

 been Miami, wath direct connection by steamer with Nassau and 

 Havana, but now the daring project of extending the line 

 through swamp and glade, across miles of water along a string 

 of islands, called the Keys, to the city of Key West, is now 

 actually nearing completion, although the w^ork of finishing the 

 bridges wall still consume some time. With the help of ferries, 

 however, rail communication with Havana is near at hand. It 

 is stated that Pullman cars wall be carried from Key West to 

 Havana on heavy ferry boats and that the journey across the 

 Gulf stream will only consume from four to five hours. 



Our vegetation is tropical and the nearest point of the Ba- 

 hamas, which belong to Great Britain, is only about fifty miles 

 distant. 



At present we are in the midst of the pineapple season. The 

 crop on the Keys is now almost picked and the yield for this 

 season is estimated at 40,000 crates. The pineapples on the main- 

 land, which are a few days later, are now being rushed to north- 

 ern markets by the train load. Pineapples are selling from 

 $2.75 to $3.00 per crate, which is considered a fair price. 



Limes are also being picked and are in great demand. These 

 are grown mostly on the Keys, since the Key lime is of fine 

 quality and ships or carries better than mainland limes. They 

 are bringing $1.25 per hundred. If this price holds there will 

 be fortunes made in this fruit within the next few years, since 

 large tracts of virgin hammock soil are being cleared and planted 

 on the Keys along the line of the railroad extension. As to 

 mangoes, the crop is not large this season, but many of the trees 

 of high quality which have been inarched, will begin to bear for 



